A little trick I read about and use to park in the garage is to run the rear wheel onto a 20mm thick plank of wood, put the stand down then tread and pull with much less effort as the bike has already been raised the 20mm of travel onto the centrestand.

Thanks for all the feedback. I back it into the space and it's a slight backward slant. The FJR, ST1100 and PC800 popped right up. Looking back I'm sure I stood too far from the bike and pulled it over, as Greywolf suggested. I've learned that lesson many times, it was doing without thinking. Haven't tried it again. It's fine on the side stand for now.

May be stating the bleedin' obvious, but the other Important Point to note when using the centre stand is to ensure both its feet are firmly in contact with the ground (ie by feel, rocking the bike to and fro) before applying downward pressure from your right foot